Word review workflow guide

How to export Word comments and tracked changes to Excel

Turn one reviewed DOCX into a sortable workbook for assignment, response, disposition, and coverage checks.

Prepare the reviewed Word document

Use the modern .docx format and retain a copy of the original. The current exporter handles one file at a time, up to 25 MB, and does not accept old .doc, macro-enabled, encrypted, or damaged packages.

Leave pending review items in place

Comments, replies, and pending text insertions or deletions must still exist in the DOCX package to become workbook rows.

Use a clean .docx copy

Save legacy or macro-enabled files as a standard DOCX before starting the export.

Keep the source document

The workbook is a control log, not a replacement for Word layout, accepted history, or the authoritative document.

Run the export locally in the browser

Open the Word Review Exporter, choose the DOCX, and start the export. The browser reads the OOXML package, matches comment references, collects supported pending text changes, and creates the Excel workbook on the same device.

Try the sample first

The built-in sample uses the same parser and workbook path as a file selected from your device.

Review the preview

Check row counts, authors, status, referenced text, context, and warnings before downloading.

Download the real workbook

Choose Download Excel after the result is ready. No manual copy-paste or VBA macro is required.

Understand the three Excel sheets

Each sheet has a different job. Review all three before handing the workbook to another person.

AreaStatusWhat the evidence shows
CommentsReview rowsContains comment and reply relationships, status, author, date, referenced text, context, response, disposition, and coverage notes when available.
Tracked ChangesSupported pending textContains main-document insertions and deletions with author, date, location, context, and coverage notes when available.
Export NotesCoverage recordExplains detected structures, counts, product limits, and anything that could not be represented as a reliable row.
Formatting, moved text, and table revisionsReview requiredThese change types are not reconstructed as ordinary text-change rows and remain visible through coverage notes when detected.

Use the workbook as a review control log

Filter the workbook by author, status, review type, or source context. Add an owner, response, and disposition as the team resolves each item, while keeping the original DOCX available for visual comparison.

Assign ownership

Use workflow columns to make each open item accountable without changing the extracted source fields.

Record the decision

Capture the response and disposition in Excel, then apply the approved change in the source document.

Retain coverage

Share Export Notes with the log so recipients know exactly what was supported, unknown, or outside the current exporter.

Continue with the right next step.

Compare the workflow guide with the evidence behind its limits.